We organised an event pretty much exactly like this. As a university club we were covered by the universities insurance policy, so if one of these clubs is a uni one or you can get a uni club involved. Then they can present it to Uni authorities as their cross-training event and you'll be covered that way.

Alternatively the Judo club can seek approval from the BJA for it as one of their club events and then you'll be covered by the BJA's policy.

Also most clubs are usually covered for beginners trying out their sport, so it may well not be an issue, because you're all effectively beginners who've walked through the clubs door except its just on one day and one facility.

Who do general student cover etc. They also have an option for events and exhibitions.

So maybe contact your own insurance company that covers your students see if they offer anything for a premium.

from Site:

We can arrange cover for martial arts events and seminars in the UK. Once we have spoken to you, it’s just a matter taking the event details. We can also arrange cover for all martial arts ring combat, including MMA (mixed martial arts) event cover, which includes the competitors. Please contact dawn@magb.com
As it is the primary goal of MAGB to raise the standards of Martial Arts, we are committed to supporting clubs in any way we can, please look at the MAGB Business Support page. There are also some links to other companies who have been recommended who supply services required by Martial Arts clubs. MAGB also have a vast network of longstanding instructors who are willing to help new business set ups, so please feel free to email any questions you may have about setting up your club/association and we will endeavour to assist.

Last edited by superangryfish; 5/13/2011 8:48am at .
Reason: To add more info

2nd: Any general advice on running a day like this? Apart from "Royal Rumble", what would you guys expect/like if you were attending/running something like this? Or, have you already done it?

Didn't address this last time around.

I've been involved in two of these kind of events the first was a joint Aikdio-Judo seminar where there was a 1hr 30/2hr Aikido seminar, lunch, then a 1hr 30/2hr Judo seminar. That worked pretty well because everyone was signed up to the whole event and there wasn't really any drop out.

The other we had a whole battery of MAs doing demos/ sessions across a whole day staring at 9am and going through til about 7 each club had an hour and went one after the other and there was no scheduled break period so if you wanted a break you had to take it out of a session. This worked pretty badly because people only really turned up for their martial art and maybe stayed for the one after before buggering off.

The ones at the start 9-11am had no one there except the representatives of the style and the ones at the end 6/7pm had no one there except the representatives of the style.

If you want to make yours good you need a few things. Prepare for a massive headache planning headache and lots of last minute **** ups.

-Don't put similar styles on back to back as people just go, **** this its the same **** I just did and go elsehwere.

-Ensure you build breaks into the day so that people have less of an excuse to switch sessions and aren't tired and irritable when going for later arts/sessions.

-Make sure you have enough kit. Get all the clubs to bring their gear with them and the pool it as much as possible. There's going to be a shortage of gi and pads/ focus mitts.

-Mostly out of your control but try and get the individual coaches to plan their session as much as possible so that the sessions are interesting and don't have people floundering trying to cope with a tidal wave of noobs.

-Try and run multiple sessions of the same thing at different times so Muay Thai does a morning and after/evening slot, because otherwise people are going to miss out on a martial art. This is where having multiple mat space really helps.

-Try and find a balance between fitting everything in, breaks and making the sessions long enough to be useful, 30/45 mins is too short an hour is just about long enough 1hr 30 is ideal.

-People need a place to sit and chill, stash bags, eat sandwiches etc...

BINS! You need bins in the hall, either bring plastic ones from home or attach bin bags to chairs etc... You're going to need lots of bins and you'll thank me for it because it will save a lot on the clean up.

-If the facility has a cafe that's ideal try and negotiate a deal with the facility to get some discounted offers i.e tea and bacon butty package for breakfast and crisp and drink/sammich deal for lunch.

- Print of fucking loads of programmes 3x more than the participants.

-Post print outs of the programme on the walls.

-Ensure there's an organisers table/ help point have a poor sod sit there all day or have people rotate between sessions and piloting the desk. Ensure its fully stacked with extra programmes, fliers from the various clubs and just general info.

-Have a space/ area reserved for organisers/officials with a chair for you and your wife/gf/kids so you don't have to fight for chairs and you basically are looking after number one.

-Get in contact with some local martial arts suppliers see if they're interested in having some stalls. Charge them a fee, you'll probs need it to come out in profit.

-Ensure people don't run away at the end at that people pitch in with putting mats away, chair stacking and general sorting out the mess that will be left over. Overwise you will be stuck doing it ALL and won't go home until gone 11pm.

-Good way to do this is to organise a post event drinks at a local pub and tell them that they need a ticket from the events desk to get into the pub. This doesn't need to be true, but tell them anyway. Then make sure that people only get issued the tickets if they've pitched in with the clean up. Sneakyu, but necessary. When they get to the pub and start waving the tickets around it doesn't matter because 1. they've already cleaned up, 2. they're in the pub now so they aren't going to go anywhere and they'll forget about after the 1st pint.

Also guard your belongings and kit with your life there's going to be a lot of absent minded thieving cunts looking to leave the day with a new gi, belt, set of gloves, pads, flip flops etc...

As I said prepare for a massive fucking headache and the constant feeling of regret about why you ever so dumb as to volunteer to do this.

We're doing it 24th July to try to bag a bit of funding from the National Olympic Open Weekend. At the moment we have 10-12 arts, and a 10-3 time slot, so multiple training areas is looking a must.

Fencing normally use the venue from 3, so I'm hoping we can compromise with them.
By persuading them to be involved by running that session as a beginners session, it'll get them out of having to do fisticuff style arts, while still being involved.
It'd also add a couple of hours of time and some training that I don't have to pay for.

I'm already regretting the fucking headache, but it should be a great day if it goes well.

That list is going to be super-handy.

When life gives you lemons... BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!!

"what's the best thing about aikido then?"
"To be defeated by your enemies, to be driven by them from the field of battle, and to hear the lamentations of your women." ermghoti